From housing estate to city? Karviná and the plans for a new centre in the Karviná-Hranice housing estate post-1989

Abstract

The city of Karviná is an example of the process in which the meaning of a settlement changes over time, from economic and social ascent to a decreasing attraction. City development is continuously influenced by individual interventions, both planned and accidental, which can estimate and predict future developments only to a limited extent. We can observe in detail one example of a shopping centre development in the Karviná-Hranice housing estate. Examination of the plans, individual steps and their implementation over the years allows for description and assessment of how the plans met reality and changed both at individual moments and over a longer period of time.